The few warm days we've had already got me thinking about this year's bass season. Wondering what new baits folks are thinking about trying this year? It doesn't even have to be new to the market either.

Myself, I think I'm going to try those Rage Tail Toads. I'm not much of a Strike King fan, but I saw Shaw Grigsby throwing them on TV recently and, I have to admit, it looked good in the water.

Fishing's good down here in Florida also. A friend of mine went out in the Everglades last weekend w/his kids and wife and caught 30 bass and one chain pickerel. The water levels are really low so the fish are concentrated in the deep holes and are easy to find. Wish I had time to go but family is calling for the next couple of weekends . . .

later in the season last year I was fishing 5" berkley gulp shad. Usually with a 5/0 round hook. I got some pin weights and used those to fine tune my presentation. I tried weighted hooks but I couldn't get the bait swimming right. On more than one occasion they were killer on bass. I'm talkin' big fish on every cast. I lost all of those baits to pike by the end of the season but I will definitely be picking up more before this season starts. I even caught an 11 lb. dogfish with one.

The Rage toad looked great and I am packing them in this season. I also like the new trend in "wake" baits. Like the Mann's baby minus 1, and Rapala's new DT Fat3. Yum makes a great frog that I see working great in the Milfoil and I am loving the look of the Rage Anaconda 7" worm.